~~Prof. Menachem Lorberbaum
+972547803316 • menachem@post.tau.ac.il
EDUCATION
PhD Philosophy, Hebrew University, 1990-1993
Dissertation: Politics and the Limits of Law in Medieval Jewish Thought: Maimonides and Nissim Gerondi
Supervisors: Professors Aviezer Ravitsky and Michael Walzer
MA Philosophy, Hebrew University, 1985-1989
Thesis: Theory of Action in Halakha: Intention in Mitzvoth
Supervisor: Professor David Heyd
BA Philosophy, Hebrew University, 1980-1984
Jewish Studies:
Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem, 1980-1989
Yeshivat Har-Etzion, Alon Shvut, 1976-1980
Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, Jerusalem, 1975-1976
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Tel Aviv University
Graduate School of Philosophy, Chair, 2010-2015
Department of Hebrew Culture Studies, Founding Chair, 2005-2008
Department of Jewish Philosophy, Chair, 2004-2005
Tel Aviv University
Department of Hebrew Culture Studies, Full Professor, 2010-present
Department of Hebrew Culture Studies, Associate Professor, 2005-2010
Department of Jewish Philosophy, Senior Lecturer, 2000-2004
Department of Jewish Philosophy, Lecturer, 1995-1999
School of Education, Instructor, 1993-1994
Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Philosophy, Preceptor, 1991-1992
School of Overseas Students, Lecturer, 1991-1992
Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem
Head of Bet Midrash program, 2012 – Present
Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
International Advisory Council, 2017 –
Ellie and Herbert D. Katz Distinguished Fellowship
Erika A. Strauss Teaching Fellowship, 2017
Pontifical University St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome
Faculty of Theology, visiting Professor, 2012, 2015, 2017
Zentrum für Literatur und Kulturforschung, Berlin
Guest Scholar, 2017
EHESS Paris
Centre de Recherches Historiques, visiting Professor, 2010
Brandeis University
Israel Institute, Visiting Professor, 2007-2008
University of Oklahoma, Tulsa
Lubel Professor of Jewish Studies, 2007
Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
School of Social Science, Member, 1999-2000; Research Associate, 1989-1991
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
Tel Aviv University
Israeli Hope Program Committee, 2017
Senior Appointments Committee, 2014 – 2016
Small Senate, 2011 – 2016
Search Committee: Rector, 2015
Faculty Representative, Board of Governors, 2013-2015
Search Committee: Chair, School of Jewish Studies, 2010; 2014
Appointments Committee Jewish Studies, 2006-2009; 2010-2014
Model Faculty Graduate School Committee, 2012
University Committee of Rules and Regulations, 2005-2011
Search Committee: Dean of Humanities Faculty, 2010
University MA Committee, 2009-2010
Overseeing Committee: TAU-Northwestern MA Law Program, 2007-2010
Overseeing Committee: Digital Culture MA Program, 2006-2010
PhD Committee, School of Philosophy, 2006-2009
Stipends Committee and Board Member, School of Philosophy, 2001-2009
Steering Committee OFAKIM Program, 2004-2008
Overseeing Committee: Combined Jewish Studies MA Program, 2005-2007
Stipends Committee, School of Jewish Studies, 2001-2005
Report to the Dean on English Language MA Program in Jewish Studies, 2002
Academic Committee Central Library, 1998-1999
External and Public Appointments
Artistic Committee, Kissufim Jerusalem International Conference of Jewish Writers, 2006-present
Academic Committee, Schwartz Center CPE, Jerusalem, 2015-present
Chair, Council of Higher Education Overseeing Committee: Tzefat College, 2009-2016
Council of Higher Education Overseeing Committee: Jerusalem College, 2010-2011
External Review Committee: Jewish Culture Rubric, Van Leer Institute, Jerusalem, 2010
Professional Committee, Israel Science Foundation (ISF), 2003-2004, 2009-2010
Professional Advisor “Living in the Holy Land: Knowing and Respecting Difference”, Center for Educational Technology, 2003-2004
Professional Committee for Philosophical Terminology, Hebrew Language Academy, 2003-2004
Academic Secretary, The Committee on Religious-Secular Relations, Chaired by Former President of the Supreme Court, Justice Meir Shamgar, Under the Auspices of the Israel Democracy, Institute, Jerusalem, 1996-1999
Editorial Boards
Interpretation and Culture Series, Carmel Press, 2015-present
Palgrave Macmillan "Global Political Thinkers" Series, 2013 - present
TAU Press, 2013- 2016
Van Leer Institute Press, 2008-2016
Dvarim Poetry series, Carmel Press and the Berakhah Foundation, Founding co-editor, 2006-2016
Interpretation and Culture Series, Bar Ilan University Press, 2010-2013
Tarbut Demokratit Journal, 1999-2008
Journal of Hebraic Political Studies, 2005-2008
Dimmuy Journal, 2003-2006
Prize Committees
Ministry of Culture, 2015
WUJS Prize, 2014
Rabbi Kook Prize, 2012
Ben Zvi Prize, 2012
Emmanuel Prize 2013
Bialik Prize, 2008, 2012
CONFERENCES AND LECTURES
1992
Royal Law as a Compensatory Legal System. Law and Halakhah in Jewish Spain Conference. The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1993
Maimonides’ Conception of Tiqqun ‘Olam. Eleventh World Congress of Jewish Studies. The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1994
Elusive Identity: The Case of Israel. Fourth Biennial Conference, International Network of Philosophers of Education (INPE). Leuven, Belgium.
Halakhah and Political Leadership in Judaism and Islam. Religion and State: Jewish and Islamic Models. The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1995
Monarchy as a Model for Jewish Politics. Royal Law and Halakha Conference. Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan.
The Theology of the Name in Maimonides. Magic and Magic in Judaism. The Hebrew University, Jerusalem and TAU, Tel Aviv
1996
The Wisdom not to Enforce the Law. The Interpretive Traditions of Halakha and American Law. Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem
Arguing for Democracy: The Problem of the Best Regime in the Halakhic Tradition. Judaism: Law, Civil Government and Values Conference. Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan.
1997
Hermeneutics and Canonization in Rabbinic Literature. Textual Reasoning Conference. Drew University, Madison New Jersey.
Forms of Religious Intolerance Today. Toleration and Intolerance in Religions and their Study. TAU
1998
Making Space for Leviathan. The Leviathan-Jewish Modernity as Political Theology. Conference of the Franz Rosenzweig Research Center for German-Jewish Literature and Cultural History, Hebrew University Jerusalem at Schloss Elmau, Bavaria, Germany.
Intellectual Perceptions of Popular Religions: The Case of Hobbes. Popular Religion, Rituals and Society. University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee.
1999
The Making and Unmaking of Territorial Boundaries: A Jewish Perspective. The Making and Unmaking of Boundaries. Conference of the Ethikon Institute and the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs at Venice, Italy.
The Autonomy of Politics. The Jewish Political Tradition: A Workshop on Religion and Politics. School of Philosophy, TAU. Department of Political Science, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
The Political Theology of Leviathan. Einstein Forum (by invitation), Potsdam, Germany.
2000
Religion and Nationalism. Arab-Israeli Conference. Institute of Mediterranean Studies, University of the Italian Switzerland, Lugano.
2001
The Problems of Ownership and Welfare. Diverse Perspectives on Community. Conference of the Ethikon Institute and The Skirball Institute on American Values, Los Angeles.
Exile. Exile, The Jewish People and Reflections on the European Context. Paideia Conference, Stockholm, Sweden.
Orthodox Arguments for Civil Society. Multicultural Societies-Realities and Challenges Conference, TAU Law Faculty.
Diversity and Dissent. The Jewish Political Tradition. Conference at the Einstein Forum, Potsdam, Germany.
2002
Can there be a non-Utopian Halakhah? Philosophy of Halakhah Conference. The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Republic in Hebrew: On the Hebrew Translation of Spinoza’s Political Terminology. Spinoza Here and Now. Conference of the Spinoza Institute, Jerusalem.
’Jewish’ Foreign Policy. Moral Values in Israel’s Foreign Policy. Conference of the International Center for Ethics and Human Values, Jerusalem.
Parables of Caves. Conference Memoire au Present, Maskilim, Paris.
2003
A Land for the Living or for the Dead? American Academy of Religion, Atlanta.
Towards a Theory of Jewish Collectivity. (Keynote) Membership in Contemporary Jewish Politics. Conference of the Center for Jewish Civilization, Georgetown University, Washington DC
What do We Learn from the Jewish Political Tradition? Politics and World Religions Series. Center for Ethics and World Societies, SUNY, Colgate. Hamilton, NY.
Basic Paradigms of Medieval Jewish Political Thought. Jewish Civilization Between Athens and Jerusalem. Conference of the Center for Jewish Studies, UCLA
2004
Phineas and Zimri: Zealotry and Sacrafice. Korban: Fourth Annual Conference of the Program for Psychotherapy and the School of Philosophy, TAU
Spinoza’s Reconstruction of Biblical Theocracy. Political Hebraism, Conference of the Shalem Center, Jerusalem
Jewish Collectivity and Gentile Otherness. The Ethics of the Neighbor Conference. Center for Jewish Studies, UCLA.
2005
Openning One's Heart to See: Judah Halevi's Prophetic Poetics. American Jewish Studies Association Conference. Washington, DC
2006
Ideology and Halakhic Ruling. Halakhah and Ideology Conference, Van Leer Institute Jerusalem
Legal Interpretation in Codes and Responsa. 1st Roman Consultation on Jewish and Canon Law. Pontifica Universita Gregoriana, Rome.
La Profecia en la obra Rabi Yehuda Ha-Levy. Rabi Yehuda Ha-Levi – Navarra y la Edad de Oro en Espana". Universidad Publica de Navarra, Tudela.
Initiator, Gillman Theological Political Conference TAU-UCLA, 2006
Violence: The Sacred and the Political. The State of Israel: The Theological Political Predicament Conference. Center for Jewish Studies, UCLA.
Visions of the Heart: Halevi on Poetry and Philosophy. Amsterdam Colloquium of Jewish Philosophy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
2007
Mythic Mysticism and Rationalistic Mysticism. Myth, Mysticism and Ritual: Jewish Studies and Comparative Religion, TAU
The Politics and Regimes of Spinoza's Tractatus Theologico-Politicus. Spinoza as Social and Political Thinker, The Jerusalem Spinoza Institute, Jerusalem
The Politics of Jewish Membership in Liberal Society. Lubell Memorial Lecture, University of Tulsa, Tulsa Oklahoma
Spinoza's Theological-Political Regimes. Spinoza and Jewish Modernity Conference, Colgate University, Hamilton NY
2008
Poetics in Maimonidean Theology. Workshop in Philosophy and Poetry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.
The Legitimacy of the Nation-State. Autour d'une souveraineté juive, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Space of Politics. God, Politics and the Jewish Tradition, Princeton University, Princeton.
Joining the Discussion: Michael Walzer's conception of Politics. Justice Culture and Tradition, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton.
Towards a Jewish Vocabulary of Assistance. Workshop on Faith and International Development, TAU.
2009
What do we learn from the Jewish Political Tradition? Die Politische Aufgabe von Religion, Universitat Mainz, Mainz
Halakhah. Beyond the Horizon of Liberal Thought, TAU
Two Concepts of Theocracy. Bund and Boundaries, Jewish Museum, Berlin
Secrets and Secrecy Conference: Ninth Annual Conference of the Program for Psychotherapy and the School of Philosophy, TAU, Organizing Committee
2010
Translating Leviathan. Political Lexicon, TAU
Secularizing and Critiquing. The Theological Turn, Van Leer Institute, Jerusalem
Wisdom and Age. Scriptural Reasoning, Cambridge Inter-Faith Program Cambridge University
Opening Address, Judaism Section, XXXI Deutscher Orientalistentag, Marburg University
Halakhah as Event Conference. Van Leer Institute, Jerusalem, Organizing Committee
Interpretation and over-Interpretation: Tenth Annual Conference of the Program for Psychotherapy and the School of Philosophy, TAU, Organizing Committee
2011
Translation and the Political Imagination. Knowledge, Imagination, Democracy, Van Leer Institute, Jerusalem
Hasdai Crescas: Philosopher and Leader Conference. Zalman Shazar Institute, Jerusalem, Organizing Committee
Intimacy: Eleventh Annual Conference of the Program for Psychotherapy and the School of Philosophy, TAU, Organizing Committee
Maimonides' Ethics: The Laws of Repentance and the Laws of Character Traits. Conference in Honor of Prof. Klein Braslavy, TAU. (& Member of Organizing Committee).
Intimacy: Eleventh Annual Conference of the Program for Psychotherapy and the School of Philosophy, TAU, Organizing Committee
2012
Pluralism and what Works Against it. How much Plurality is Possible in Judaism Conference, University of Zurich
The Maimonidean Project of Rationalizing the Law. Kölner Mediaevistentagung, University of Koln
Memory, Myth and History in Modern Jewish Thought. Memory: Twelfth Annual Conference of the Program for Psychotherapy and the School of Philosophy, TAU
2013
Fighting for God in the Jewish Tradition. With God on Our Side: Holy War and Sacred Struggle, TAU
What do we Learn from the Jewish Political Tradition? CEPC Seminar, Madrid
Language: Eleventh Annual Conference of the Program for Psychotherapy and the School of Philosophy, TAU, Organizing Committee
Mysticism as an Analytic Concept. The Hidden and the Revealed, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
2014
Rethinking the Medieval Theological Turn. Jewish Studies as Philosophy, University of Cambridge
The Law of the Kingdom (king) is Law - Legitimizing Gentile Law or Politics? 'Jewish Questions' in International Politics, Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture in Leipzig
Jewish Political Thought Seminar, Crescas Institute, Amsterdam
2015
Must Jewish Theology lead to Holocaust Denial? John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue and the Centro Pro Unione, Rome
Reflections on Theology and Poetics in Scholem's Theory of Kabbalah. Praise and Mourning: Poetics and Thought in the Early Writings of Gershom Scholem, Minerva Institute for German History, TAU
Curricula and Humanistic Scholarship, Van Leer Institute and TAU. Invitee and Discussant.
Zimzum in the Kabbalah of Cordovero and Luria. Sefadian Kabbalah, Zefat College, Zefat
2016
To Knowingly Sin: Sabbatianism and Hassidism revisited. ZfL Berlin
The Sehkhinah in The Book Bahir. Scholem poetics and Kabbalah workshop. ZfL Berlin
Onto-theology: Metaphysics and the Political. Heidegger Institute, Wuppertal University, Wuppertal
Freud on Melancholy. Melancholy as Poetics, BGU Beer Sheva
Exile in the Holy Land. New Perspectives on Sovereignty and Jewish Politics, TAU
Politics and Law Conceptualized. Religion and Law Workshop. IDI Jerusalem
Is the Constitution Judeo-Christian? National Constitution Center, Philadelphia PA
The Medieval Theological Turn. Theology and Religious Studies Workshop, Villanova University, PA
2017
Community as a Mode of Jewish Politics. Judaic Studies Program, Drexel University, Philadelphia PA
Gershom Scholem's Concept of Mysticism. Jewish Studies, University of Maryland, College Park MD
Israel's Greatest Victory? The Six-day War and the Demise of the Zionist Project. Rudolph Lecture, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY
The Theological Critique of Politics. Expanding Jewish Political Thought. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA
PRIZES, AWARDS, GRANTS
TAU 100 Club of Outstanding Teachers 2014
ISF (PI), Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov's novel religious discourse, 2014-2016
Yaniv Foundation, Leviathan in the Holy Land, 2007
Koret Jewish Studies Publication Award, Secularizing Politics, 1998
NEH (PI), The Jewish Political Tradition, IAS Princeton, 1994
Bob Russel Fellowship, Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem, 1983
DOCTORAL STUDENTS
1. Haim Rechnitzer, Leo Strauss and the Theological-Political Predicament, Hebrew University 2002
2. Cedric Cohen-Skalli, The Humanistic Rhetoric of Don Isaac Abravanel, TAU 2004
3. Yitzhak Lifshitz, Meir of Rothenberg’s Political Thought , TAU 2007
4. Effi Laor, The Anti-Messianic Ideology of Perek Helek, TAU 2007
5. Orly Roth, The Concept of Anoos in Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, Hebrew University 2007
6. Harel Gordin, Feinstein's response to Modernity, TAU 2007
7. Iris Auslander, Revelation in Language, TAU (2010-)
8. Omer Michaelis, Crisis in Jewish Theology, TAU (2013-)
9. Nurit Barnea, Agnon's Poetics of Halakha, TAU (2013-)
10. Noam Hoffman, Maimonides' Conception of Law, TAU (2014-)
11. Sima Hurwitz, Sacred Eating, TAU (2016-)
MASTER'S THESES
1. Jane Cohen, The Bible Is Our Mandate: State and Synagogue in Israel. TAU 1997
2. Youval Jobani, Universal Religion: Religion, Morality and Politics in Spinoza’s Theological Political Treatise. TAU 2001
3. Orly Roth, The Epistle of Martyrdom and the Question of Legal Formalism in Maimonides’ Jurisprudence” TAU 2000
4. Yitzhak Lifshitz, Partnership and Authority: The Development of Political Theory in the Medieval Communities of Ashkenaz. Turo College 2002
5. Yoav Sadeh, Orthodoxy and Pluralism: The Philosophy of David Hartman. TAU 2003
6. Zeev Kaufmann, Leibowitz’s Theory of Practical Mitzvot. TAU 2004
7. Hovav Reschelbach, The Work of Art: Meaning and Pleasure. TAU 2008
8. Asher Griner, Metaphors of Sacrifice and Body. TAU 2009
9. Roni Hirsch, Unstable Spirits: Multitude and Government in Spinoza. TAU 2009
10. Iris Auslander, Maimonides' Theology of Otherness. TAU 2010
11. Eliezer Davidowitz, Gabirol's concept of Matter. TAU 2011
12. Iris Saban, Maimonides' concept of Love . TAU 2011
13. Sharon Brix-Etgar, Political-Spatial Lexicon of Jean Luc Nancy. TAU 2011
14. Zohar Ofaz-Lipsky, Ritual Renewal in Contemporary Judaism. TAU 2012
15. Amitay Katz, Conceptualizing Electricity in the Laws of Shabbat. TAU 2012
16. Omer Michaelis, Love and Awe. TAU 2012
17. Merhav Yehsoron, Maimonides' concept of Homonym, TAU 2015
18. Eldad Zion: Onto-Theology in Israeli Education, TAU 2016
19. Asaf Shtul, Shalem: Rethinking Zionism. TAU 2016
20. Iris Konforti, The Concept of Joy. TAU 2017
21. Itamar Ben-Ami, The Israeli Discourse of Sovereignty. HU 2017
